ENSENADA, Baja California (border report) — The mayor of Ensenada, a port city about 70 miles south of the border, announced cruise ships are coming back after pulling out over security concerns for passengers and employees.

Mayor Armando Ayala Robles said Carnival Cruise Lines confirmed it will allow its ships to dock in Ensenada once again and complete its list of scheduled arrivals in the coming months.

The cruise line canceled ports of call after a weekend of vandalism, looting and threats of mass violence in Northern Baja California.

Last Friday, a cartel sent a warning promising mayhem on the streets throughout the weekend unless some of its members were released from prison.

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According to the Ensenada mayor’s office, Carnival and other cruise lines threatened to cease operations in Ensenada unless security measures for passengers were enhanced.

“I’m very happy they confirmed the rest of their scheduled arrivals and they trust in the actions we’ve implemented,” Ayala Robles said.

The mayor said he had gotten assurances from the cruise line during a conference call Monday afternoon.

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“We reiterated the importance of the cruise ship arrivals to our city, and that the actions of a few do not reflect the hard-working people and hospitality in our region … our people work hard daily to help their families get ahead.”

Royal Caribbean also canceled scheduled stops in Ensenada, but it has yet to resume operations in this port.

American companies such as Starbucks and McDonald’s, with franchises in Ensenada, also shut down operations during the weekend, but have since reopened for business.

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Cruise ship stops in Ensenada had resumed recently following the COVID-19 pandemic and power struggles over control of the port of Ensenada brought on by organized crime, something that has plagued many other ports throughout Mexico.

Carnival Cruise Lines said that after communicating with officials and evaluating the situation over the past several days, it has resumed normal operations in Ensenada, Mexico.

“The safety of our guests is our priority and we will continue monitoring for any developments, as we do every day for all the ports we visit,” wrote a company spokesperson.

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